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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


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This  book  was  printed  from 
type  in  the  City  of  L,os  Angeles 
in  California  and  the  number 
printed  was  1,000,  after  which 
the  type  was  distributed.  The 
number  of  this  copy  is 


of 

or   ilj?   JRagfcaUtt*   of 


The  pages  of  this  book  are  not  meant  to  be  cut. 


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|Jrihati-li| 

in  thr  (Utttj  of  HOB  Amjrlru  and  thp 
ninrtrrn  tfiindrrit  and  fibr 


Copyright,  1905, 

by  Dolores  Cortez. 

(All  rights  reserved.) 


Out  Wtst  Co.  Print. 


to  tip 
of  Qlofctg 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

Mary  of  Magdala  is  an  inspiration 
of  my  own.  Although  the  Bible  gives 
|  bnt  slight  mention  of  this  repented 
sinner,  its  accounts  being  rather 
allegorical,  there  is  truth  for  the 
foundation  of  every  myth.  Let  Mary 
of  Magdala  have  been  the  daughter  of 
the  Davids,  a  person  who  existed  in 
flesh  and  blood,  or  merely  a  principle, 
I  set  forth  the  story  representing  her 
as  a  beautiful  oriental  creature  with 
her  abundant  animal  spirits  misguided 
and  untamed,  whom  one  glance  from 
the  Divine  Nazarene  had  the  power  to 
transform  and  bring  into  harmony  with 
divine  law. 


II 


I  put  this  tale  before  the  world  as  an 
example  to  the  Magdalenes  of  to-day, 
being  an  introduction  to  a  story  of 
greater  length  and  its  sequel,  entitled : 
"  A  Child  of  the  Slums,  or  a  Magdalene 
of  To-day,"  which  is  ready  for  publica- 
tion. 


An  Interpretation 


MARY  OF  MAGDALA,  OR  THE 
MAGDALENE  OF  OLD 

HE  sun  was  setting  over 
Jerusalem.       Jetting 
fejranuug?     fountains   were  sending 
their   streams   of  water 
to  the  skies  and  falling 
and  spreading  in  drops  of  topaz,  sap- 
phire and   ruby,  like  tears   of  angels 
• 

weeping  over  the  sinful  city.  The  ter- 
raced gardens  on  the  palace  roofs ; 
the  scent  of  the  orange  and  lemon 
trees  bordering  the  walks ;  the  great 
scarlet  blooms  of  the  centennial  lotus ; 
the  dark  green  of  the  cedars  of  Leba- 
non, all,  all,  was  breathing  with  sens- 
uous life.  The  simple  shepherds  were 

15 


Mary  of  Magdala,  or 


defiled  by  their  contact  with  the 
exquisite  Greek  and  the  luxurious 
Roman. 

The  palace  of  the  Davids  stood 
on  a  rising  ground  at  the  edge  of 
the  city,  prominent  in  its  magnificence. 
Slaves  were  arranging  cushions  under 
the  drooping  acacias,  preparatory  to 
the  coming  of  their  mistress,  who  this 
moment  appeared  walking  nonchalant- 
ly through  the  garden  attended  by  a 
train  of  servants.  She  reached  the 
cushions  and  fell  with  indolent  grace 
among  them,  drooping  her  heavy  eye- 
lids like  a  bacchante  after  the  orgy. 
Little  knaves,  like  bronze  Cupids, 
standing  aside  of  the  golden  pedestals 
here  and  there,  upholding  cups  of 

16 


The  Magdalene  of  Old 


incense,  were  sending  perfnmes  in  the 
air  with  little  jewelled  rods.  Graceful 
white,  half-naked  slave  girls  were 
surrounding  their  mistress  like  a 
frame,  fanning  her  and  waiting  to  obey 
her  slightest  wish.  Near  by,  a  group 
of  fair  maidens  under  a  palm  tree,  half 
hidden  by  flowers,  were  singing 
snatches  of  love  songs  in  low,  mellow 
tones,  accompanied  by  their  stringed 
instruments — love  songs  to  make  the 
very  roses  blush. 

The  beauty  among  the  cushions  fell 
into  a  dreamy  reverie  and  all  became 
silent.  Miriam,  her  confidante,  at 
length  suddenly,  yet  quietly,  approach- 
ed her  and  whispered : 

"  Hark  !      The   music  !      We  must 


Mary  of  Magdala,  or 


Haste  to  the  feast.     They  are  waiting." 

A  faint  melody  of  harps  and  lyres 
was  borne  to  them  on  the  wings  of  the 
breezes  from  the  distance. 

The  splendid  creature  to  whom  these 
words  were  addressed,  awoke  from  her 
reverie  and  turned  her  shapely  head 
indolently  toward  the  sound. 

"  Let  them  wait,"  she  replied 
languidly,  "  the  waiting  will  fill  them 
with  stronger  desires." 

"  Miriam,"  she  went  on,  "  tell  Yuba 
to  dress  my  hair  high;  its  weight  is 
too  much  over  my  shoulders  this 
evening.  I  dreamed  last  night  that 
invisible  hands  had  piled  it  on  my  head 
in  a  pyramid"  and  she  raised  herself 
into  a  sitting  posture. 

18 


The  Magdalene  of  Old 


Yuba  obeyed  silently  and  the  great 
mass  of  hair  was  arranged  on  the  head 
of  her  mistress  like  a  tower  of  gold, 
held  np  by  two  jewelled  daggers. 

A  sound  of  tramping  feet  on  the 
street  below  startled  her 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked  of  her 
confidante. 

The  latter  went  over  to  the  railing 
that  snrrounded  the  garden  and  looked 
down. 

"  It  is  that  fanatic  whom  they  call  the 
Nazarene  and  his  crowd  of  beggars," 
she  replied,  turning  to  her  mistress. 

"The  Nazarene?"  reiterated  the 
voluptnons  woman.  "  The  Nazarene? 
It  is  said  that  he  is  the  handsomest 
being  God  ever  created  and  the  only 

19 


Mary  of  Magdala,  or 


man  who  has  never  given  a  thought  to 
women.     I  want  to  see  him/' 

She  rose  in  all  the  glory  of  her 
beauty  and  moved  with  a  slow,  un- 
dulating motion  toward  the  terrace 
railing.  Though  of  middle  stature, 
she  had  a  magnificent  presence  and 
the  voluptuous  curves  of  her  form  were 
disclosing  themselves  through  the 
draperies  <  of  her  rich  garment  of 
damask,  seal  and  gold,  lined  with  the 
palest  blue  and  held  together  with 
clasps  studded  with  precious  stones. 
The  rosy  pink  of  her  dainty  feet  and 
nails  were  gleaming  in  their  elegant 
sandals.  Her  jewelled  anklets  glit- 
tered, but  her  arms  and  fingers  wore 
no  circlets,  as  ornaments  would  have 

20 


The  Magdalene  of  Old 


marred  their  dimpled  porportions. 
Reaching  the  terrace  railing,  she 
looked  into  the  multidude  below  and 
discovered  the  man  in  his  loose  robes 
of  pure  white,  evidently  the  leader  and 
the  person  called  the  Nazarene. 

" Miriam!  See,  the  Nazarene!  He 
is  glorious !  His  eye,  his  hair,  his 
nose,  his  lips,  his  whole  bearing  is  per- 
fection !  He  is  the  king  of  the  uni- 
verse! I  want  to  go  to  him,  to  bring 
him  to  my  feet,  to  take  him  with 
me  in  triumph  to  the  feast!  Who 
has  ever  resisted  Mary  of  Magdala  ?  " 

Her  face  was  a  living  flame.  With 
her  fine,  delicate  nostrils  dilating,  her 
sensual,  scarlet  lips  quivering  and 
showing  her  small,  even,  white  teeth  ; 

21 


Mary  of  Magdala,  or 


her  low  brow — even  her  shell-like  ears 
pulsing  and  throbbing  with  life,  she 
was  a  woman  of  fire  incarnated.  Her 
shapely  throat  palpitated  with  passion- 
ate thirst  and  her  voluptuous  bosom 
heaved  with  inward  emotion,  endeavor- 
ing to  free  itself  of  the  heavy  garments 
that  clung  about  it.  Her  alabaster 
flesh  was  sweet  and  fresh  as  a  child's 
and  was  exuding  perfume  that  drew 
men  involuntarily  as  the  rich, 
fragrant  nectar  of  a  beautiful  flower 
draws  a  bee.  She  ordered  some  of  her 
slaves  to  follow  her  and  descended  the 
imposing  marble  steps  of  the  palace 
with  the  vigorous,  graceful,  undulating 
movements  of  a  young  panther.  When 

22 


The  Magdalene  of  Old 


she  reached  the  street,  angry  shouts 
arose  from  the  multitude. 

"  Mary  of  Magdala  !  The  harlot  of 
Jerusalem ! " 

The  Nazarene  turned  his  head  in 
the  direction  of  this  commotion  to  find 
what  caused  it. 

"I  will  conquer  him,"  whispered 
Mary  of  Magdala  to  Miriam  exultingly. 
"  He  looked  at  me." 

The  crowd  grew  more  indignant  at 
the  boldness  of  the  sinner  in  following 
their  beloved  teacher,  when  the 
Nazarene  turned  to  her  again. 

"  He  is  mine !  I  shall  indeed  take 
him  with  me  as  a  trophy  to  the  feast. 
The  fires  of  love  shall  burn  forever. 
Mary  of  Magdala  is  not  a  vampire  ;  she 

23 


Mary  of  Magdala,  or 


feeds,  she  increases  the  vital  forces  of 
men.  He  shall  know  me  even  more 
fully  than  any  other  has  known "  and 
she  grasped  Miriam  by  the  hand  and 
appeared  like  a  splendid,  young  feline 
aroused. 

"  Stone  her  !  "  shouted  a  man  in  the 
crowd. 

A  look  of  reproach  from  the 
Nazarene  rebuked  and  calmed  the 
indignation  of  the  multitude.  He 
passed  onward  a  few  paces  when 
his  divine  glance  once  more  rested  on 
the  magnificent,  public  sinner. 

The  latter' s  step  faltered  and  she 
trembled — she  knew  not  why.  She 
could  not  endure  the  light  that  shone 
from  this  wonderful  being's  eyes,  a 


The  Magdalene  of  Old 


light  of  celestial  brightness  and  that 
had  in  it  the  mysteries  of  the  Infinite. 
She  felt  humbled  and  ashamed.  Her 
eyes  fell  and  saw  her  bare  shoulders 
and  half-nude  body.  For  the  first  time 
in  her  thirty  years,  she  blushed. 
Quickly  she  seized  the  jewelled 
daggers  that  held  together  her  hair, 
threw  them  from  her  and  the  mass 
fell  about  her  like  a  mantle  of  gold 
and  covered  her  nakedness.  She  took 
a  few  steps  forward  and  threw  herself 
at  the  feet  of  the  Nazarene,  hard,  re- 
morseful sobs  convulsing  her  frame. 
Her  shame,  her  agony,  her  intense 
reverence  for  the  being  before  her, 
swept  over  her  like  a  storm.  The  re- 


Mary  of  Magdala 


vulsion  of  feeling  was  beyond  language. 
She  could  only  weep. 

With     pitying     gentleness     the 
Nazarene  raised  her  from  the  ground. 

!uGo,  and  sin  no  more." 
The  multitude  stood  amazed.  The 
harlot  of  Jerusalem  was  transfigured. 
A  pure,  serene  brightness  was  reflected 
upon  her  and  she  stood  like  a  seraph 
inspired.  Her  soul  had  awakened. 


26 


UNIVERSITY   OP   CALIFORNIA 
LIBRARY 

Due  two  weeks  after  date. 
Fttf    «     19" 

NOV  2  9 1985 


IRK  MR  14 1988 
'JAN  2  2 


30w-7,'12 


VB   I3I9CJ 

GENERAL  LIBRARY- (|.C.  BERKELEY 


